Ballew has a leader
Four-star safety Nilijah Ballew of Cincinnati (Ohio) Walnut Hills took a little while to get rolling on the recruiting trail. Now that the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder is pulling in the offers, one team has solidified their spot at the top of his list.
Louisville was the first school to offer Ballew back in February, and he made his second trip to their campus in the last two months on Wednesday.
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"It totally blew my mind away," Ballew said. "They toured me around and I got to see the dorm rooms. I watched them practice, got to sit in on a DB meeting and get the vibe of it, get the vibe of being a college player."
Ballew also got a chance to glean insight from a college player through a conversation he had while on Louisville's campus.
"Calvin Pryor, their star safety, was coming off the sidelines and he said, 'hey, let me talk to you,'" Ballew said. "We talked and exchanged numbers so I will be giving him a call soon."
The previous trip to Louisville was taken back in February for a junior day. This second visit solidified the Cardinals as his leader.
"Before today's visit I was really strong on Louisville," Ballew said. "I have been talking to the coaches in the last month or two and forming a relationship. My parents have talked to them and they love them.
"I went down there today with my coach and it was another good experience. They impressed me even more, so I am leaning towards Louisville. I am just going to wait for this spring recruiting and see how that goes, but I'm pretty set on Louisville."
Besides Louisville, Ballew holds offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan. He continues to hear from the likes of West Virginia, Cincinnati, Ole Miss and Missouri.
The next visit Ballew plans to take is to Bowling Green next Wednesday. He is also looking to visit Ohio State before the spring is out.